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American  Newspaper  Publishers  Association 

ROOM'903  world   BUILDING,    NEW  YORK 

JOHN  NORRIS,  Chairman  Committee  on  Paper 


BULLETIN  No.  2795  NEW  YORK,  NOV.  30,  1912 


B"  SPECIAL 


PRESERVATION  OF  PAPER. 

LIBRARIANS  AIMING  TO  FURNISH  CURRENT  HISTORY  TO 

FUTURE  GENERATIONS;  THE  BOOKWORM  OF  FACT; 

SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  A   PAPER  THAT   WILL 

ENDURE  INDEFINITELY;  METHODS  OF 

STORING  PRINT  PAPER  ROLLS 

AND   BOUND  FILES  OF 

NEWSPAPERS. 

Paper  submitted  to  a  committee  of  the  American 
Library  Association,  by  John  Norris,  Cliairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Paper  of  the  American  News- 
paper Association,  November  26,  1912. 


At  a  meeting  of  the  Committee  appointed  by  the  American  Library 
Association  to  study  methods  of  preserving  newspaper  files  for  use  of 
future  generations,  held  November  26,  1912,  at  the  Montague  Branch  of 
the  Brooklyn  Public  Library.  Mr.  John  Norris,  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Paper  of  the  American  Newspaper  Publishers  Association, 
submitted  the  following  observations : 

"Much  has  been  said  recently  by  Librarians  about  the  inferiority  of 
the  newsprint  paper  which  goes  into  bound  files  of  the  libraries  for  the 
purposes  of  reference  and  historical  preservation.  An  examination  of 
the  places  of  storage  in  the  libraries  and  of  the  conditions  of  storage  con- 
vinces me  that  while  the  ordinary  newsprint  paper  may  not  be  in  any  re- 
spect suitable  for  purposes  of  preservation,  the  methods  of  handling  those 
papers  when  bound  are  conducive  to  deterioration.  This  criticism  applies 
not  only  to  libraries  but  to  newspaper  offices  and  substantially  to  all  places 
where  newspaper  files  are  stored.  In  many  of  the  libraries,  the  files  are 
subjected  to  treatment  which  deprives  the  paper  of  its  required  moisture. 
The  Libraries  dry  out  the  newspapers  by  keeping  them  in  rooms  with  an 
average  temperature  of  70  degrees,  which  is  bound  in  the  course  of  time 
to  cause  deterioration.  The  artificial  heat  renders  the  paper  extremely 
brittle  and  makes  it  crumble  like  isinglass  when  handled.  Excessive 
dampness  is  also  disadvantageous. 

"33 

258131 


HOW  IMPROVEMENT  MAY  BE  0BTAINSS>^.° 

Improvement  in  the  preservation  of  these  historical  records  may  be 
obtained : 

1st:  By  using  a  printing  paper  that  will  endure  indefinitely. 

2d :   By  binding  with  materials  that  do  not  attract  minute  organisms. 

3d :  By  storing  under  conditions  (a)  that  do  not  deprive  the  paper  of 

all  its  moisture;  (b)  or  subject  it  to  excessive  dampness;  (c)  or  subject  it 

to  chemical  action  produced  by  sunshine  or  gas  or  artificial  heat  or  similar 

agencies  of  deterioration;   (d)  or  propagate  insects  or  other  growth. 

In  gathering  information  that  relates  to  the  preservation  of  the 
printed  paper,  I  have,  at  the  request  of  newspaper  publishers,  inquired 
about  the  storage  and  preservation  of  newsprint  rolls  which  I  will  also 
touch  upon  in  this  compilation. 

The   matter   of    paper   preservation   has    attracted    attention    for   cen- 
turies. Pliny  says  the  ancients  preserved  their  paper  and  books  from  moths 
by    washing     them    with     cedar    or    citron    oil.      In     1773    the    Royal 
Society  of  Sciences  at  Gottingen  offered  a  premium  for  the  answers  to 
questions  relating  to  insects  found  in  records  and  books.     The  answers 
accepted  at  that  time  indicated  that  five  insects  were  destructive  and  that 
six  appeared  to  be  doubtful.   They  recommended  that  bookbinders  use  glue 
mixed  with  alum  in  place  of  paste.  The  ravages  of  insects  vary  accord- 
ing to  latitude.     The  cigarette  beetle  has  been  described  as  the  most  de- 
structive raider  upon  books.     A  publication  entitled  "Bookworms  of  Fact 
and  Fancy"  gives  a  list  of  insects  and  includes : 
The  bed  bug,  found  in  wood  papers; 
White  ants,  found  in  clay  fillers; 
Roaches,  after  oils  and  fats  in  parchments; 
Beetles,  in  skin  bindings; 

Spring  tails  and  Silver  Fish,  in  dry  and  warm  locations; 
Centipedes  and  scorpions,  which  prey  upon  the  insects  found  in 
libraries. 
These  live  promoters  of  paper   deterioration  may  work  considerable 
damage  in  warm  latitudes  but  in  the  important  libraries  which  are  located 
in  the  more  northerly  latitudes  I  believe  their  damage  is  negligible. 

COMPOSITION  OF  NEWSPRINT  PAPER. 
Newsprint  paper   is   made   by   the   mixture   of   approximately   75   per 
cent,  of  mechanical  wood  pulp  and  25  per  cent,  of  sulphite  wood  pulp  with 
a  slight  addition  of  clay  and  rosin. 

The  agencies  leading  to  decay,  according  to  my  limited  observation 
and  study  are : 

Artificial  heat 

Gas  combustion 

Sunshine 

Oxidation 

Excess  of  mineral  substances 

Excessive  dampness 

Carelessness  in  bleaching  and  inferior  materials  in  bindmg. 
Mechanical  pulp  will  deteriorate  rapidly  when  exposed  to  air  or  light. 
R.  W.  Sindall,  an  English  authority  says  many  of  the  books  printed  on 
wood  pulp  paper  between  1870  and  1880  are  in  a  hopeless  condition.  With 
lower  grade  papers  containing  mechanical  pulp  the  degradation  of  color 
and  fibre  is  inevitable.  Clayton  Beadle  points  out  that  paper  which  is 
brittle,  when  very  dry,  becomes  stranger  and  more  pliant  with  a  certain 
amount  of  moisture.  With  more  moisture  it  loses  its  power  of  "felting." 
There  is  a  point  where  the  maximum  strength  is  obtained.  Prof.  Herz- 
berg,  of  the  German  Testing  Institute,  is  credited  with  the  statement  that 

1134 


paper  containing  three  to  five  per  cent,  of  moisture  is  at  its  strongest. 
Newsprint  paper  will  absorb  close  to  lo  per  cent,  of  its  weight  in  moisture. 
Most  of  this  paper  when  manufactured  contains  about  five  per  cent,  of 
moisture  or  lOO  pounds  per  ton  of  paper.  It  is  liable  to  absorb  80  pounds 
additional  of  water  per  ton  of  paper  in  transit  from  mill  to  newspaper 
office.  The  additional  weight  of  the  paper  when  delivered  has  puzzled 
many  newspaper  publishers  who  almost  invariably  found  that  their  rolls 
weighed  more  than  the  weight  indicated  at  mill.  A  recent  litigation  in 
England  disclosed  the  fact  that  jobbers  had  bought  a  less  weight  of  paper 
than  the  customer  had  demanded,  the  jobbers  relying  upon  the  absorption 
of  moisture  in  transit  to  make  up  the  deficiency. 

English  librarians  report  that  the  ordinary  novel  printed  on  light, 
spongy  paper  has  a  life  of  about  40  issues.  In  other  words,  it  will  be 
unfit  for  further  use  and  not  even  worth  rebinding  after  circulation 
among  40  readers. 

The  American  Chemical  Society  appointed  a  Committee  in  1908  to 
find  a  paper  more  suitable  for  the  records  of  the  Society.  It  sought  to 
ascertain  the  most  durable,  strongest,  lightest,  thinnest,  most  opaque,  and 
cleanest  paper  having  a  surface  not  injurious  to  the  eyesight  that  it  was 
possible  to  proeure  for  the  money  available.  The  specifications  adopted 
by  that  Society  were: 

Rag,  75  per  cent. 

Bleached  chemical  wood  or  equivalent  thereto,  25  per  cent. 
Ash  (China  clay),  5  per  cent. 
Weight  (26x38,500) — 42  pounds. 
Strength  (Mullen)  15  pounds. 

Folding  number  (Schopper)  if  practicable,  10  pounds. 
Sizing,  three-quarter  rosin — no  starch. 
Finish,  uniform  machine,  same  both  sides. 

Color,  uniform,  natural,  paper  must  be  well  washed  to  remove 
soluble  salts  and  bleaching  materials. 
The  paper  cost  approximately  6J^  cents  per  pound. 

COMPLAINTS  OF  LIBRARIANS. 

At  a  conference  of  librarians  in  1909  at  Bretton  Woods,  N.  H.,  Frank 
P.  Hill,  Librarian  of  the  Brooklyn  Public  Library  read  a  paper  on  "The 
Deterioration  of  Newspaper  Paper"  wherein  he  narrated  the  results  of  an 
examination  of  the  bound  copies  of  Manhattan  and  Brooklyn  newspapers 
filed  in  Brooklyn  Library,  He  said :  "In  many  instances  papers  pub- 
lished within  the  last  forty  years  had  begun  to  discolor  and  crumble  to 
such  an  extent  that  it  would  hardly  pay  to  bind  those  which  had  been 
folded  for  any  length  of  time.  Further  investigation  showed  that  prac- 
tically all  of  these  newspapers  were  printed  on  cheap  wood  pulp  paper, 
which  carries  with  it  the  seeds  of  early  decay,  and  that  the  life  of  a 
periodical  printed  on  this  inferior  stock  is  not  likely  to  be  more  than 
fifty  years."  The  librarian  sent  out  circulars  to  publishers  asking  whether 
a  better  grade  of  paper  was  being  used  for  running  off  extra  copies  for 
their  own  files  and  what,  if  any,  means  had  been  taken  to  preserve  the 
files  in  their  offices.  The  answers  showed  that  no  special  paper  was 
used  and  that  no  means  were  taken  to  preserve  those  in  the  worst  con- 
dition. Inquiries  were  sent  to  paper  manufacturers  with  no  more  satis- 
factory results.  Mr.  Hill  had  not  then  found  any  newspaper  that  printed 
extra  copies  on  a  better  grade  of  paper  but  subsequent  inquiry  has  dis- 
closed that  the  Red  Wing  Republican,  of  Red  Wing,  Minnesota,  prints 
IS  copies  daily  from  which  number  it  supplies  paper  to  the  Minnesota 
Historical  Society  and  the  Congressional  Library,  at  Washington.  It 
binds  some  for  its  own  use  and  places  them  in  vaults  for  reference.    Its 

"35 


Secretary  and  Manager,  Mr.  Jens  K.  Grondahl,  says  a  fair  grade  of  book 
paper  is  used.  The  paper  has  not  obtained  any  scientific  test.  Mr. 
Hill's  paper  described  the  use  of  a  liquid  mixture  in  the  German  Govern- 
mental Paper  Testing  Institute  of  Berlin  by  the  use  of  which  it  was 
aimed  to  indefinitely  preserve  wood  pulp  papers  and  make  them  fit  to 
read  for  centuries  to  come.  The  method  was  to  dip  the  sheets  one  by  one 
into  a  "cellit"  solution  and  then  hang  them  up  to  dry  or  to  spread  them 
on  large  meshed  nets.  Mr.  Hill  suggested  that  it  might  be  to  the  interest 
of  publishers  and  librarians  if  a  few  copies  of  each  issue  of  the  news- 
papers should  be  printed  on  paper  which  had  been  treated  with  this 
chemical  in  the  roll. 

At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Committee  of  the  American  Library  Assn., 
Mr.  Cedric  Chivers,  a  bookbinder  of  Brooklyn,  spoke  of  the  successful 
experiments  he  had  made  with  the  German  product  "Cellit,"  by  painting 
the  edges  of  bound  volumes  with  it.  He  was  of  the  opinion  that  paper  so 
treated  would  last  50  or  75  years  and  that  the  treatment  could  be  re- 
peated with  the  same  result.  The  expense  of  treating  the  volume  page 
by  page  might  deter  most  librarians  and  publishers  from  attempting  that 
method  of  preservation.  He  pointed  out  the  necessity  for  binding  the 
newspapers  as  quickly  as  possible  so  that  they  might  not  long  be  exposed 
to  the  air. 

UNITED  STATES  GOVERNMENT  SPECIFICATION  ' 

In  1904,  Secretary  Wilson  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  au- 
thorized the  Bureau  of  Chemistry  to  investigate  the  subject  of  suitable 
papers  for  Government  purposes.  The  investigation  covered  about  5.000 
samples  of  paper  and  resulted  in  the  issue  of  two  circulars  by  the  Bureau 
of  Chemistry.  Subsequently  the  Joint  Committee  of  Congress  on  Print- 
ing appointed  a  Commission  to  pass  upon  this  matter.  Its  report  was 
adopted  December  18,  191 1,  and  now  controls  all  Government  supplies 
of  paper  and  printing  and  binding  materials.  In  the  following  month, 
a  public  bidding  was  held.  The  standard  specification  for  printing  paper 
that  would  "endure  indefinitely"  was  as  follows : 

Weight,  25  X  40,  500;  SO-pound  basis    (24x38-45). 
Thickness  shall  not  exceed  .0035  inch. 
Strength  shall  not  be  less  than  18  points. 

Stock  shall  be  not  less  than  75  per  cent,  rag;  the  remainder  may 
be  bleached  chemical  wood,  free  from  unbleached  or  ground 
wood  pulp. 
Ash  shall  not  exceed  5  per  cent. 
Size — The  total  rosin  shall  not  exceed  2  per  cent. 
This  quality  of  paper  is  comparatively  cheap,  costing  4^   cents  per 
pound  or  twice  as  much  as  the  International  Paper  Company  quoted  as 
its  newsprint  price  for  the  year  1912.    The  list  of  bidders  and  of  the  mills 
at  which  the  paper  would  be  made  was :  Cents  per  pound 

American  Writing  Paper  Co 

Lots  22  b  and  23  b   4-35 

Lots  24  b  and  25  b 4-55 

C.  H.  Clinton  Paper  Co.  of  Phila.,  supplied  by  Nashua 

River  Paper  Corporation    4-5 

Lewis  Hoflenmaier,  supplied  from  Bryant  Paper  Co 5.1 

C.  W.  Rantoul  Co.  of  N.  Y.,  supplied  from  Tidewater 

Paper    Mills    4-99 

King  Paper  Company,  of  Kalamazoo  5.5 

R.  P.  Andrews  Paper  Co.,  supplied  by  West  Virginia 

Pulp  and   Paper   Co 7-0 

Bryant  Paper  Co S-i 

Champion  Coated  Paper  Co 4-75 

1 136 


The  award  was  made  to  the  American  Writing  Paper  Co.  for  280 
tons  at  4.35  cents  per  pound  and  to  C.  H.  Clinton  Paper  Co.  of  Philadelphia, 
zt  4  yz  cents  per  pound  for  76  tons.  The  Government  Commission,  in 
recommending  this  quality  of  paper  said : 

GOVERNMENT  COMMISSION  REPORT  ON  SPECIAL  PAPER. 

"The  use  of  this  paper  should  be  limited  to  copies  of  those  permanent 
publications  intended  for  Government  libraries  or  Government  use,  or, 
at  most,  be  limited  to  the  copies  placed  in  the  depository  and  university 
libraries  of  the  country.  This  is  intended  as  the  permanent  printing 
paper  for  the  service,  and  while  its  use  will  not  be  extensive,  it  will  serve 
a  very  important  purpose.  The  important  historical  documents  of  the 
Government  and  its  original  scientific  contributions  should  be  printed  on 
permanent  paper.  It  is  also  desirable  that  such  publications  as  the 
Statutes  at  Large  should  be  printed  upon  this  grade  of  paper." 

Mr.  Veitch,  of  the  Bureau  of  Chemistry,  who  was  a  member  of  a 
Government  Commission  on  Paper  Specifications,  and  who  has  given 
much  research  to  these  matters  says  there  is  need  for  two  sets  of  papers, 
one  for  ordinary  handling  and  immediate  accessibility,  and  one  for  stor- 
ing away  for  future  reference.  It  should  be  practically  inaccessible.  He 
writes:  "No  paper  which  is  subject  to  a  great  amount  of  handling  and 
use  can  prove  absolutely  permanent.  Even  the  best  paper,  if  handled, 
will  deteriorate  and  go  to  pieces  and  if  handled  constantly  would  last 
but  a  few  years.  If  handled  very  little,  it  would  last  for  several  hundred 
years  and  if  the  volumes  were  opened  but  several  times  a  year  and  were 
stored  in  a  suitable  place,  they  would  undoubtedly  last  for  many  hundreds 
of  years.    In  other  words,  the  problem  is  one  largely  of  use  and  storage. 

"The  sheets  should  never  be  folded.  They  should  be  kept  in  binders 
and  not  folded  repeatedly  backward  and  forward  upon  themselves." 

The  Bureau  of  Chemistry  and  the  Bureau  of  Standards  at  Washing- 
ton concur  in  the  matter  of  ink.    They  say : 

"Very  little  difficulty  would  be  experienced  with  the  ordinary  printer's 
ink.  The  black  inks  consist  essentially  of  carbon,  which  is  yery  per- 
manent, and  therefore  very  little  anxiety  need  be  felt  for  any  publica- 
tions printed  with  black  ink." 

HOW  THE  CONGRESSIONAL  LIBRARY   CARES   FOR  OLD 
NEWSPAPER  FILES. 

In  the  Congressional  Library  at  Washington,  special  efforts  are  made 
to  preserve  eighteenth  century  files.  The  volumes  are  sealed  in  dust 
proof  cases.  They  are  bound  with  buckram  and  finished  with  materials 
recommended  by  the  best  authorities.  The  books  lie  flat  with  air  spacing 
every  six  inches  for  ventilation.  Channel  iron  ribs  are  used  in  the  stacks. 
Air  that  has  been  washed  or  screened  to  remove  dust  is  forced  through 
the  stacks  and  then  exhausted.  The  temperature  is  kept  uniform  the 
year  round.  Flour  paste  boiled  with  alum  is  used  for  binding.  Pro- 
tecting sheets  of  paper  are  inserted  between  every  double  page.  A  thin 
tough  linen  ledger  paper  is  used  for  guards.  The  onlv  possible  criticism 
that  might  be  offered  toward  the  perfection  of  these  provisions  for  pre- 
servation is  the  occasional  sunshine  in  the  storage  room.  The  volumes 
thus  protected  cost  $10.00  each  for  binding.  The  ordinary  binding  of  the 
current  newspaper  volumes  in  the  Congressional  Library  costs  $2.00  per 
volume.  The  deleterious  effects  of  the  products  of  gas  combustion  are 
avoided  in  the  Congressional  Library  because  electricity  is  used  for  il- 
lumination when  artificial  lighting  is  necessary.  No  records  are  kept  of 
the  humidity  of  the  atmosphere.  The  cleanliness  of  the  entire  establish- 
ment is  its  insurance  against  animal  organisms. 

"37 


In  the  New  York  Public  Library,  the  newspaper  files  are  stored  up- 
right, in  well  ventilated  stacks  with  some  protection  against  dust  by  the 
screening  of  the  air.  The  thermostat  in  the  public  file  room  was  fixed 
in  August  at  68  degrees.  The  files  in  the  North  roorn  and  in  stacks  rest 
on  steel  ribbed  shelving.  No  attempt  is  made  to  regulate  the  humidity 
of  the  storage  place.     Gas  is  not  used  in  the  byilding. 

Four  large  steam  pipes  pass  through  the  room  of  the  Montague 
Branch  of  the  Brooklyn  Public  Library,  containing  the  old  New  York 
Herald  files.  There  is  no  sunshine  there  but  the  main  hall  where  most  of 
the  newspaper  files  are  kept  is  flooded  with  sunshine.  Some  of  the  files 
lie  flat  and  some  are  upright.  The  ordinary  eff^ort  is  made  to  preserve 
uniform  temperature  by  heating  in  cool  weather,  but  there  is  no  special 
regulation  of  temperature,  or  humidity,  or  ventilation,  or  exclusion  of 
dust. 

The  Philadelphia  Public  Library  stores  its  newspaper  files  flat  in  the 
cellar.  It  permits  the  access  of  very  little  sunshine.  There  is  some  venti- 
lation and  some  opportunity  for  variations  of  humidity  due  to  changes 
in  the  atmosphere.  Gas  throws  off  its  deleterious  products  of  com- 
bustion in  this  room.  Steam  heated  pipes  pass  through  the  cellar.  The 
newspapers  are  bound  in  buckram. 

May  I  suggest  to  your  Committee  that  it  gather  information  from  the 
various  libraries  and  historical  societies  upon  a  blank  corresponding 
substantially  to  the  following: 

DATA    RELATING   TO   STORAGE    OF   NEWSPAPER   FILES   IN 
PUBLIC  LIBRARIES. 

Date 

City 

State  

1.  Name  of  library  or  society. 

2.  Number  of  daily  newspapers,  the  regular  issues  of  which  are  bound 
and  preserved  by  the  library  or  society. 

3.  Are  the  bound  files  stored  flat  or  upright? 

4.  Is  there  sunlight  in  the  room  in  which  the  bound  files  are  stored? 

5.  Is  gas  used  for  illumination  or  any  other  purpose  in  any  part  of  the 
library,  especially  near  that  room  in  which  the  bound  files  are  stored? 

6.  Is  there  any  ventilation  around  the  bound  files  that  will  permit  of 
the  free  ventilation  of  outside  air? 

7.  Is  there  artificial  heat  in  the  room  in  which  the  bound  files  are 
stored? 

8.  Are  the  variations  of  humidity  in  outsire  air  permitted  to  reach  the 
bound  files? 

9.  Are  the  bound  files  stored  in  sealed  cases  or  are  they  kept  in  such 
manner  as  to  be  protected  from  dust  in  the  air? 

ID.  Is  any  attempt  made  in  binding  to  guard  against  insects? 
II.  What  suggestions  do  you  offer  to  secure  the  preservation  of  records 
of  current  history? 

(Signed)     Name   

City 

State  

NO  PROFIT  IN  PRINTING  NEWSPAPERS  ON  SPECIAL  PAPER. 

Conceding  the  failure  of  the  newspapers  up  to  this  time  to  do  that 
which  is  more  or  less  of  an  obligation  upon  them,  it  should  be  borne 
in  mind  that  until  recently  very  little  data  has  been  available  for  as- 
certaining a  standard  quantity  of  printing  paper  that  would  endure 
indefinitely  under  proper  storage.     From  time  to  time,  the  subject  has 

1 1 38 


been  taken  up  by  newspapers.  Several  canvasses  have  been  made  of  the 
possible  revenue  to  be  obtained  from  such  an  issue.  Apparently,  the  ex- 
penses would  far  exceed  the  probable  revenue.  The  purchases  would  be 
restricted  to  the  larger  public  libraries,  some  college  libraries,  and  some 
Historical  Societies.  I  doubt  if  subscriptions  could  be  obtained  for  one 
hundred  copies  of  such  a  publication.  It  seems  like  a  dream  as  a  com- 
mercial proposition,  though  some  newspaper  genius  may  accomplish  such 
a  result  some  day.  A  rich  institution,  or  newspaper  publisher  or  philan- 
thropist, like  Mr.  Carnegie,  who  has  enthusiasm  for  the  accurate  his- 
torical guidance  of  future  generations,  might  endow  such  an  effort  and 
make  it  possible.  In  any  event  it  lacks  the  attractiveness  of  direct 
profit.  The  mere  cost  of  the  paper  would  be  a  bagatelle.  loo  copies 
of  an  ordinary  daily  newspaper  upon  the  terms  and  specifications  of 
the  Government's  contract  would  hardly  exceed  $2.50  per  diem  but 
the  cost  of  preparing  the  plates  and  rolls  to  meet  the  varying  con- 
ditions would  carry  the  total  cost  to  a  figure  that  very  few  publishers 
would  care  to  incur  as  a  permanent  obligation. 

STORAGE  OF  NEWSPAPER  ROLLS. 

Some  newspaper  publishers  have  asked  me  to  gather  for  them  informa- 
tion that  will  enable  them  to  store  newsprint  paper  rolls  under  such  con- 
ditions that  will  avoid  deterioration.  The  experience  in  recent  years  has 
tended  to  the  belief  that  paper  stored  by  manufacturers  in  warehouses  near 
the  place  of  consumption  has  become  so  brittle  within  three  months  that 
it  interfered  with  prompt  printing  of  the  paper  by  reason  of  breaks  in 
the  web  and  increased  waste.  This  brittleness  is  attributed  to  the  arti- 
ficial heat  or  absence  of  moisture  in  the  warehouses. 

100,000  TONS  OF  PRINT  PAPER  ON  HAND. 

The   print   paper   manufacturers    of   the   United    States   carry   nearly 
100,000  tons  of  newsprint  paper,  of  which  the  supply  at  the  mill  averages 
40,000  tons,  or  9  days'  supply  for  all  newspapers  of  the 

country    40,000 

6  days'  supply  in  transit,  equalling 27,000 

7  days'  supply  in  places  of  consumption,  equalling 31,500 

Total    98,500 


This  total  of  approximately  100,000  tons  of  paper  represents  a  selling 
value  of  about  $3,500,000.  Up  to  date  there  is  no  evidence  of  any  general 
effort  either  by  manufacturers  or  by  consumers  to  standardize  the  method 
of  storage  or  to  improve  conditions.  Obviously  it  would  be  to  their 
mutual  advantages  to  encourage  and  promote  every  such  effort. 

The  International  Paper  stores  over  1800  tons  of  paper  in  the  loft  of 
the  big  shed  at  Pier  39,  North  River,  New  York.  The  place  is  not  heated 
in  any  way  and  it  is  subject  to  all  the  variations  of  temperature  and  hu- 
midity which  are  incidental  to  the  free  play  of  the  air  on  the  river  front. 
Its  officers  say  they  can  store  paper  rolls  indefinitely  in  that  loft  (as  much 
as  3  years)  and  deliver  the  rolls  to  newspaper  consumers  in  good  condi- 
tion. Their  only  trouble  in  storing  paper  is  due  to  one  extra  handling 
which  is  however,  less  than  cartage  and  storage  in  a  warehouse.  Some 
of  the  paper  is  stored  in  a  warehouse  in  Franklin  Street,  New  York,  in 
order  that  the  company  may  not  have  all  of  its  eggs  in  one  basket.  The 
Chicago  Daily  News  stores  1000  tons  of  newsprint  paper  as  a  reserve. 
Eighteen  months  ago  during  the  pendency  of  a  paper  strike,  it  used  600  tons 
of  paper  that  had  been  stored  for  five  years  in  a  cellar  that  was  open  to  the 

"39 


free  play  of  the  atmosphere.  The  rolls  were  set  upright  on  strips  that  per- 
mitted ventilation  under  and  on  everj-  side.  The  windows  had  never  been 
closed  in  all  that  period.  It  is  reported  that  when  the  stored  paper  was 
put  upon  the  presses,  it  ran  better  than  fresh  paper. 

New  York  City  uses  750  tons  of  newsprint  paper  per  diem.  The  total 
tonnage  stored  in  this  city  is  not  readily  ascertainable.  The  Great  North- 
ern Paper  Company  carries  between  8,500  and  9,000  tons  at  Pier  42, 
North  River,  to  supply  the  needs  of  its  customers.  The  International 
Paper  Company  now  has  approximately  3,500  tons  in  storage  in  its  loft 
and  on  cars  in  the  City.  In  Kansas  City,  the  Star  carries  2,000  tons  of 
paper.    In  Brooklyn,  the  Eagle  carries  a  month's  supply. 

EXPERIENCE  OF  INTERNATIONAL  PAPER  COMPANY  IN 
STORING  PAPER. 

Mr.  A.  E.  Wright,  Vice-President  of  the  ^International  Paper  Com- 
pany, was  asked  for  suggestions  for  storing  paper  in  the  new  building 
of  the  New  York  Times.    He  answered  as  follows : 

"Our  experience  has  taught  us  that  paper  stored  in  a  room  of 
fairly  even  temperature  of  from  thirty  to  forty  degrees,  with  a  free 
circulation  of  air  at  all  times,  is  best  suited  for  the  storage  of  news- 
paper. 

"As  you  no  doubt  know,  the  warmer  the  air  the  higher  percentage 
of  moisture  it  carries,  therefore  we  suggest  a  temperature  of  from 
thirty  to  forty  degrees.  When  necessary  to  get  as  low  a  temperature 
as  this  during  the  summer  months,  we  would  suggest  some  sort  of  a 
refrigerating  device  through  which  the  air  would  pass  before  enter- 
ing the  store  room.  It  is  well  to  avoid  as  far  as  possible  excessive 
temperature  and  moisture  conditions,  and  allow  for  as  free  a  circula- 
tion of  air  as  possible. 

"We  suggest  the  storing  of  paper  on  a  ventilated  platform  fully 
three  inches  from  the  floor,  this  will  allow  circulation  across  the 
bottom  of  the  rolls. 

"As  to  the  effect  of  light  upon  paper,  we  do  not  think  that  this  has 
much  bearing,  as  long  as  the  wrappers  are  left  on  the  rolls.  We 
should  say  that  the  most  satisfactory  place  for  paper  storage  would 
be  a  basement  with  windows  for  ventilation  on  all  four  sides,  and 
the  paper  stored  on  a  platform  such  as  recommended  above. 

"We  feel  sure  from  our  experience  in  storing  large  quantities  of 
paper  in  roll  form  that  if  our  suggestions  are  followed  out  as  out- 
lined above,  very  little,  if  any,  change  in  the  character  of  the  paper 
will  be  found,  after  it  has  been  stored  for  a  considerable  period." 
It  should  be  stated  that  no  one  has  ever  attempted  to  adopt  refrigera- 
tion as  a  method  of  preserving  stored  paper  rolls. 

VERTICAL   OR   HORIZONTAL   POSITION    FOR   ROLLS. 

Another  phase  of  this  matter  of  storing  rolls  is  the  question  of  carry- 
ing rolls  in  a  horizontal  or  vertical  position.  Practically  all  the  paper 
companies  and  newspapers  store  the  roll  vertically  because  it  seems  to 
require  less  space.  The  New  York  Times,  in  planning  its  new  Annex, 
has  aimed  to  store  over  1000  tons  of  paper  and  to  preserve  the  horizontal 
position  of  the  roll  to  avoid  the  waste  and  labor  incidental  to  up  ending 
each  roll  and  subsequent  throwing  of  the  roll  to  a  horizontal  position.  In 
the  Government  printing  office,  five  men  have  been  observed  helping  to 
change  the  position  of  a  roll. 

Up  to  this  time  no  effort  has  been  made  to  collate  the  data  relating 
either  to  the  storage  of  newsprint  paper  rolls  or  the  preservation  of  the 
printed  paper.  In  the  common  interest  some  definite  steps  should  be  taken 
to  improve  conditions. 

II40 


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T^NO.  DD  1 8.  45m,  6'76  BERKELEY,  CA  94720 


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